1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a workflow executing apparatus, workflow executing method, and computer program, particularly suitable for executing a workflow.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the office environment, various types of devices such as a multifunctional peripheral (MFP), printer, server, and so forth are connected to a network, and the devices thereof are shared and used by users. Systems also exist wherein not only are devices connected to the network used, but multiple devices connected to the network collaboratively execute processing. Content of processing performed with multiple devices collaborating is a workflow job, the specific processing flow is a workflow, and the definitions/regulations of the processing flow are workflow definitions.
A system to execute workflow jobs is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-195847. With this system, the server obtains information about a device that can execute processing from a discovery apparatus, and using processing speed, cost, network traffic and the like as determination factors, selects the optimal device from the obtained information, and executes the workflow.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-129580 describes a system. With the system therein, when executing a workflow to collaboratively process multiple tasks, execution parameters for each task for each user to execute (e.g. email address of transmission destination) are customized, whereby a workflow job according to the user is realized.
To ease the use of device functions, which have become highly functional and sophisticated in recent years, customizing the device functions for each user is preferable. In the case of customizing device functions for each user, the user performs settings for him/her to use, such as performing settings on a device that the user uses often or a device that is closest to the user.
As customizing of the device by the user advances, the following environment may be realized by way of example. An environment where “the certificate of user A is set in the device A closest to the seat of user A, the certificate of user B is set in the device B closest to the seat of user B, and the dedicated storage region of user A and user B is set in the device C having the greatest storage region.”
However, if device settings differ for each user or processing that can be executed by the device differs by user, certain functions may not be permitted when executing a workflow job. That is to say, with techniques according to related art, in the case of searching for a device that can execute a workflow processing, selecting the device based on device functionality is a prerequisite thereof.
Therefore, with the techniques according to the related art, the searched device may have the function to execute the workflow processing, but the user instructing the execution of the workflow may not have permission to use such function. Accordingly, there may be cases wherein the function thereof can be used or cannot be used, depending on the user. Further, with the related art described above, the settings performed by the user are performed for each device. Therefore, in order to execute the workflow processing along with settings unique to a user, there have been cases wherein workflow processing for an identified device must be executed, and otherwise the workflow processing could not be correctly executed.